A Youth Center Grows: With expansion, Bethesda Mission seeks to boost capabilities, programs.

February 29, 2016 | by Alexis Campbell

Back in 1990, Harrisburg-based Bethesda Mission acquired the defunct Shamrock Fire Station on Allison Hill and turned it into a youth center.

Since then, the center has been a fixture in the community, providing myriad programs for children and teens, including a comprehensive after-school program, summer camps, special programs for teenagers and the UCAN Mentoring Program, which matches youth with volunteer mentors.

“We’ve made it work for 25 years,” said Scott Dunwoody, vice president of business development for Bethesda. “We’ve simply outgrown it. It was built in 1908, and it’s structurally sound, but is in need of major repairs and upgrades.”

Additionally, the current youth center has no outdoor area where kids can play.

“Anytime that we want to take the kids anywhere outside, we have to put them in vans and drive them,” Dunwoody explained.

Bethesda’s plan is to renovate the existing youth center, create an outdoor play area and parking, construct an improved entryway off Herr Street, and renovate the recently acquired adjacent building into a gymnasium and program facility.

The adjacent property, which includes half-an-acre of land and a 10,000-square-foot building, is the former Kurzenknabe Printing Co. It was not initially part of Bethesda’s renovation plan, but, when officials approached the building’s owner about expanding eight feet in his direction, he told them that he was looking to sell the property.

“It was truly an answered prayer,” Dunwoody said. “We had always talked about how great it would be if that building ever became available, and here it was.”

Through the support of five foundations, seven churches, six businesses and 91 individuals, Bethesda raised the necessary funds to purchase the building in July 2015, completing the first phase of the expansion project. They’re still raising funds for the renovations phase.

Bethesda believes that the expansion of the youth center will lead to a doubling or even tripling of the number of families reached through their programs.

“We envision not just a youth center, but a community center,” Dunwoody said.

Bethesda’s youth programs are aimed at giving young people a solid foundation upon which to build their futures.

“Our programs seek to ‘fireproof’ young people from all of the things that they may struggle with in life,” Dunwoody explained. “We often see adults who have destroyed their lives through drug and alcohol abuse and other destructive decisions. These programs intercede before things get to that point.”

Dunwoody said that parents in the community often express their appreciation to Bethesda for being a safe place for their children to spend time.

“Many parents need this,” said Dunwoody. “They need a place where their kids can be safe while they work to support them. The youth center provides that, and, with this expansion, we’ll be able to take that support even farther.”

In addition to youth programming, Bethesda envisions expanding the center’s outreach to seniors, as well.

“We see this as a ‘legacy project,’” Dunwoody said. “This will have a positive impact on the community for years to come.”

Bethesda Mission Youth Center is located at 1428 Herr St., Harrisburg. The organization continues to raise funds for Phase 2 of the renovation project. To learn more about their programming or to make a gift, visit www.bethesdamission.org.

Layers of Flavor: Phyllo draws Greek food fans to the Broad Street Market.

February 29, 2016 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Photo by Waxman Photography.

Like the phyllo dough that Katerina Ntzanis works with to craft her Greek specialties, the story of how she decided to embark upon a culinary career consists of many layers, but in the end, it’s all been built on family.

The young chef arrived in the United States at the age of 4 and, shortly afterwards, developed a keen interest in her mother’s culinary skills.

“Throughout my years in school, I paid close attention to what she was doing in the kitchen,” she said. “Everything she made was amazing.”

For Ntzanis, cooking became synonymous with nurturing, love and comfort as she learned various techniques. By the time she reached adulthood, her path was clear. Soon, she was honing her cooking chops at the prestigious International Culinary Center in New York. As part of the program, she also had the opportunity to work at L’Ecole, a restaurant run by the center.

After she completed the program, Ntzanis stayed in New York for a time and worked at a restaurant called Park Avenue Seasonal before returning to the Harrisburg area.

“I moved back because the restaurant was relocating, and I wanted to start something of my own,” she said.

By investing her time and talents in Harrisburg, she is following in the footsteps of other family members. Her father Thomas and brother Sotirios operate the Midtown Tavern on N. 2^nd Street.

Her attractive and spacious stand in the stone market building serves the needs of the crowds who flock there.

“We have a convection oven, a fryer, a char broiler and a four-top stove,” said Ntzanis, who is joined by her mother Anna and cousin Vasoula Tsandopoulou in whipping up signature Greek dishes. “My favorite part of the business is working with my family. I feel like I’m at home here.”

The family’s extended network also pitched in to make Phyllo a reality.

“One of my father’s friends built the stand and put in the gas line, the water line and installed the hood system,” she said.

Greek to Me

For those uninitiated in Greek cuisine, Phyllo is there to help.

Several laminated sheets—emblazoned with a simple question, “What is that?”—are placed on the counter so customers can peruse the contents of dishes like horiatiki (red onion, bell pepper, feta, kalamata olives, tomato, cucumber, oregano and olive oil) and the popular spanakopita (“phyllo with filling of mama’s blend of greens and feta”).

“A lot of people are looking for a home-cooked meal, and we provide that, making everything from scratch,” said Ntzanis.

Phyllo also offers a mix-and-match souvlaki skewer option. Customers can choose chicken, pork, lamb or a vegetable mixture of zucchini, onion, pepper and mushroom and pair the skewers with sauces like tzatziki (Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil), melitzanosalata (pureed eggplant, garlic, parsley, balsamic vinegar and olive oil) and tirokafteri (described as “ricotta with mama’s spicy blend”).

Daily specials vary and range from dishes like the savory moussaka made with meat sauce, eggplant and béchamel, a baked pasta dish known as pastitsio and a soup called avgolemono, which contains chicken, rice and a lemon egg foam and is guaranteed to warm the insides of patrons during the cold winter months.

As for sweets, the honey-laden, phyllo-layered crowd favorite baklava is a mainstay on the menu, with other Greek desserts making the occasional appearance to keep things interesting.

Customer Nora Noone said the baklava was just one of the offerings that drew her back to the Broad Street Market.

“I also like souvlaki, but hadn’t visited the market for about 10 years,” said the Mechanicsburg resident, who remarked on the portion size of the popular dessert. “They give you a huge triangle, especially compared to what you get at other places.”

Valerie Osipov, also of Mechanicsburg, visited after the opening in December.

“I ordered the souvlaki with the pita bread, and we tried an assortment of dips,” she said. “I think she’ll be very successful.”

David Morrison, acting executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, said that his recent experience was very positive.

“Phyllo played a crucial role in our Candlelight House Tour,” he said. “They set up a pop-up pastry stall and provided finger food that was excellent.”

“I saw people from the tour visiting our stand after that,” said Ntzanis.

She said she’s excited to be part of a market that is experiencing a renaissance, thanks to an influx of new vendors and growing attractions in Midtown Harrisburg.

“I chose this market specifically because I enjoy the diversity, and I want to be part of the Midtown community,” she said with a smile. “Because I love what I do, I feel like I’m not even working.”

Phyllo is open for lunch and dinner during regular Broad Street Market hours. Visit their Facebook page: Phyllo.

House Hunters Harrisburg: As amenities, confidence grow, so does interest in living in the city.

February 29, 2016 | by Ashleigh Pollart

A year ago, Jared Blouch packed up his belongings and did something that, until recently, would have seemed decidedly backwards.

He sold his house in Mechanicsburg and moved into Harrisburg.

He was tired of the commute and traffic into the city each day, he said. So, he found a beautiful, historic house that he also thought was very affordable and started a new way of life that included—egads—walking.

“I like that everything is so close, and I don’t have to drive far,” said Blouch, who purchased on Green Street. “I can get everything I want right there.”

Blouch became so enamored with his new neighborhood that he quickly became an activist for it, joining the board of Friends of Midtown and serving as president of the Olde Uptown Neighborhood Association.

Blouch’s introduction to Midtown Harrisburg could hardly be more different than that experienced by Ray Davis, who moved there in 1986.

“I bought my house on Green Street, and I drove my mother by and she looked at me, and she looked back at the house and said, ‘Are you serious?’” he said.

Davis, a familiar licensed real estate agent in central PA, and particularly in Harrisburg, laughed as he recalled the memory.

“She had no experience with city living,” he said. “So, she put her hand on my knee and said, ‘Is it safe?’”

In those three decades in Harrisburg, Davis has seen many changes—from the transition of the plasma center on Reily Street to the current Midtown Cinema; from rows of empty buildings to the recent surge of new businesses in Midtown.

“We didn’t have anything—anything!” he stressed. “It was so different than it is now.”

Today, Midtown residents have numerous restaurants, nightspots and even a brewery among a long list of amenities just a short stroll away. In part, that’s what may be driving new interest in living in the heart of the city, said Davis.

“Comparing 2011 to 2015, there were literally twice as many sales,” he said.

In 2011, the data (price range of $50,000 to $250,000) showed that 49 houses were sold in the 17102 zip code, which includes North Street to Maclay Street and Front Street to N. 7^th Street. In 2015, the same zip code totaled 99 units sold. Even more encouraging, the average time on the market for those 99 units was 87 days, just below the average of 90 days in the surrounding suburbs.

Faring Better

Wendell Hoover, Harrisburg’s other go-to agent, looked past the borders of the 17102 zip code to find that the dips and peaks of the average sales price over a six-year period told the same story.

Including data from downtown, Midtown and Uptown, the average sales price was $97,241 in 2010. In 2011, the average sales price dropped drastically to $85,339 then dropped further in 2013 to $75,058. The last two years have seen a reversal. The 2015 figures show a 22 percent increase since 2013 to an average price of $91,600.

The low numbers in 2011 were not unique to Harrisburg as the country experienced a bursting of the housing bubble. Harrisburg, however, was experiencing other challenges, financially and politically, over those years. Now, the opinion of the city has changed, said Hoover, who credited this improved perception as the main factor behind the current upswing.

“There were just so many negative things, and there were very few positive things before, so that’s the biggest trend—people have changed their viewpoint,” he said. “Whether they’re first-time homeowners or they’re investors, you need to have that confidence in the immediate market, and now a lot of people do.”

More Attractive

Hoover has been a realtor in central PA for six years and, during that time, he, too, has observed many of the changes in the city and optimistically foresees continued growth.

“Interest rates, although they might inch up, will remain relatively low, and the economy, although not good for everyone, has incrementally improved,” he said. “I don’t see much to stop this positive momentum, particularly as we get more things in Midtown.”

Hoover cited the opening of the Millworks and the expansion of the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center as two important recent projects that have made the neighborhood more attractive to buyers.

“There are different venues I could point to, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be restaurants,” he said. “It’s just things that people can walk to.”

The desire to live in a walkable city is something that both Davis and Hoover have noticed from clients such as young professionals, first-time homebuyers and empty-nesters looking to downsize.

“I can’t put a particular amount of weight on it, but I believe the trend going forward is people wanting a house in a walkable community, and Harrisburg is definitely that,” Hoover said. “Some areas more than others, but that’s the biggest demand, particularly in Midtown. That’s a trend that I’ve seen for several years, but I’ve seen it grow in the last year or two years.”

The city’s walkability is not only attractive to potential homebuyers, but also to renters. The rental market is another facet of Harrisburg’s housing market that’s been trending up.

“The rental market was always good and remained good,” Hoover said. “Even during the time when people didn’t have the confidence in the overall market, they were at least willing to rent. They wanted to be in Midtown, they wanted to be in Uptown, but they weren’t convinced that maybe the market wasn’t going to get worse.”

And, in fact, developers have been responding to the growth in rental demand, with many new apartment buildings—particularly high-end renovations of historic buildings—coming on the market over the past couple of years. LUX, Walnut Court and COBA are a few examples of recently renovated multi-dwelling buildings. This year, both Harristown Enterprises and WCI Partners will add significant new rental inventory to downtown and Midtown.

Some of those renters eventually turn into homeowners.

“Renters who are renting upper-end properties, if they decide to stay, or when they decide to stay here, they turn into really good buyers,” Davis said. “They’re having a good experience in the city, and they want to stay.”

Both realtors also have had a growing number of clients moving to the city from larger metropolitan areas. These buyers, or renters, are attracted to Harrisburg because of the amount of space they can get for their hard-earned money compared to the cities they came from, the realtors said.

“Folks coming from those areas really help our values because they see value where natives don’t,” Davis said. “But do I see a big trend of that? I don’t know if it’s a huge trend, but it’s happening.”

What do the next five years hold? If demand continues, perhaps developers will begin to build single-family homes. The city’s new construction market—unlike the growing multi-family segment—has seen little action for many years.

“The city isn’t like Lower Paxton Township or Silver Spring Township, where they’re building new stuff all of the time,” said Davis. “[Zip code] 17102 doesn’t really have anywhere to go other than a few townhomes up at the [Broad Street] market.”

So far, Blouch appears happy with his choice to ditch “the boonies” for city life. Not only is he within blocks of places like Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Alvaro Bakery and Zeroday Brewing Co., but he’s met “tons” of people in his first year in Harrisburg.

“This works for me because I’m very social,” he said. “I’m more of a city person. I like being around other people.”

Dublin on the Mediterranean: Put some Italian in your Irish with this stew.

February 29, 2016 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

When I was a little girl, I loved St. Patrick’s Day.

I drew shamrocks, pots of gold and leprechauns and sang, “How are things in Glocca Mora?” endlessly. The song was Perry Como’s fault (but he was Italian, too). As a young mother, I once made dozens of little shamrock cookies by rolling little balls of cookie dough into leaves and stems. They took an entire afternoon to make and no one ate them. They had no taste.

And, like many others, every March I bought a slab of artificially died red meat, pared it with cabbage wedges, potatoes and carrots, boiled it forever, and served my family an “authentic” Irish corned beef and cabbage dinner. This never was a hit either.

So, what to serve to celebrate on this festive little holiday? The winds can blow bitterly this month as winter hangs on. A warming stew seems just right, but my challenge has always been avoiding my husband’s assertion that I am cooking “mystery meat.” This accusation usually comes when he is served anything from a crockpot, as well.

Nevertheless, a good stew can be satisfying and delicious on St. Patrick’s Day or any cold day in March. The following recipe is for an Italian lamb stew, a wonderful spring dish from one of my favorite cooking bibles, “How to Cook Italian.”

It takes a little time to cook, but can be made a day or two ahead of time and re-heated when ready to serve. I make some changes to the ingredient list by substituting red wine for the white and peas for the olives. If you don’t like lamb, the stew can be made with beef or veal. If you’ve never tackled a dish like this before, give it a try. The leftovers are even better the next day.

Ingredients

1 small garlic clove
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes (or veal or beef cubes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup white or red wine
1 ½ cups good quality, crushed tomatoes (like POMI)
6-8 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup of frozen baby peas or 12 kalamata olives, flesh sliced away from the pits

Recipe

Peel and finely chop the garlic and chop enough of the rosemary to measure 1 teaspoon.
Put the olive oil into a heavy pot, like a Dutch oven or Le Creuset casserole. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and, when the oil is hot, begin browning the lamb cubes. (I like to sprinkle the meat with a little Wondra flour, which serves to thicken the juices.) Brown half the meat at a time so as not to crowd the cubes.
When all the lamb is browned, season it with salt and pepper.
Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and rosemary. Stir briefly with a wooden spoon.
Add the wine and let it bubble for about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, salt them gently, and, when they begin to boil, add the meat cubes back into the pan.
Put a lid (slightly askew) on the pot and simmer gently for about 90 minutes. (Good “slow food” takes a little time.) Stir every 20 minutes or so.
When the meat is tender, add the peas or olives. If there is too much liquid remaining in the pot, remove the lid and let it evaporate as you finish cooking.

This stew only needs a loaf of crusty bread, perhaps sourdough or even Irish soda bread. A tossed salad such as arugula (we need some green) and some nice cold beer (maybe Harp?) will round out the meal.

I think this Italian stew would satisfy my Irish friends. Enjoy. And “may the road rise with you.”

Student Scribes: A Little More than Just Gore

February 29, 2016 | by Eileen Reinnagel

I exit my mother’s car and walk on the mushy grass and mud toward Asylum Run, located in Harrisburg. I have a huge smile anticipating a fun night with my Asylum Run family.

I take out my purple makeup bag, which holds everything I need to turn everyone at Asylum Run into nightmares. This year, our theme, “Freak Show,” required a lot of clown makeup. Some actors just blacked out their eyes because they wore masks. Knowing that I get to do what I love for the next few hours puts me in an extremely joyous mood. I walk over to the shed where we keep our extra makeup and pull out the clear, stacked cabinets. Tonight Raelee, the manager, sits inside, her gorgeous grey eyes lighting up when she sees me.

“Yay, you’re here tonight! Are you starting now?”

“Yep, where do you want me?” I say, champing at the bit to get started.

“Behind the shed should be fine,” she said.

I pick up the makeup cabinet and walk out, ready to set everything up.

For some people, makeup is a job, a hobby. In my case, it’s a lifesaver. I first discovered SFX makeup at a theater camp in 2014. The camp was held at Harrisburg Area Community College, HACC. The camp offered improv classes, making costumes and memorizing scripts. During this time, my depression haunted me—I was self-harming and had been hospitalized earlier that year. Doing makeup helped me to become someone else and something different. Knowing that I could do whatever I want to do without actually hurting myself makes me feel free. Whenever I felt sad, I would use glue and create burns. I didn’t have most of the supplies I needed, so I used eye shadows for colors and glue in place of liquid latex. Whenever I attempted a makeup with blood, I would use bright red lipstick, but this inhibited me from creating the looks I wanted. Trying to figure out how to make my passion a reality was difficult, but, eventually, I made it work. When I volunteered at Asylum Run, I learned techniques I later added to my special makeup effects toolbox.

Though SFX makeup is my favorite type of makeup, I also like to do beauty makeup—kind of like glam and gore. According to www.instyle.com, 86 percent of women in the United States who wear makeup said it makes them feel more self-confident. On average, women spend around $144 a year on beauty. Beauty makeup allows me to transform myself into different people and different things: Kylie Jenner, Lorde, Katy Perry, a man. Doing my makeup SFX or beauty helps me to feel more confident and happy with myself. Knowing I can create something that is beautiful and scary at the same time is pretty amazing. Getting to work with and meet new people, for me, is the best part of doing makeup. Picking up techniques along the way is also a great part of makeup. Anthony Stewart, a professional special effects artist, who’s currently working on Fox Network’s supernatural series, “Sleepy Hollow,” stated, “You get to dabble in a lot of different things around the shop, constantly learning new techniques and figuring things out, floating around from shop to shop, and occasionally landing a semi-permanent position.”

Stewart said special effects work is a hard field to get into. It’s all about who you know. “It took me a little bit to come to terms with just how much work it is, but, once I got into the swing of things and working more jobs, I kind of got hooked. Looking for work when one job ends gets easier,” Stewart said.

Although I want to go into a different field of special makeup effects than his, speaking with Stewart really gave me a clear idea on how to better my career. Being able to be creative is a great part of the job and being able to work with my hands will most likely help me to push myself harder. Eventually, I hope to win a season of the Sy-Fy network’s show “Face-Off” and get my career shot from there. Being in this field of work can also help to set myself up for other occupations.

When asked about his future in SFX, Stewart said, “…there are a few different paths this occupation could send me or anyone down.” Knowing that there are so many paths to pursue gives me hope for my future in my career. For example, Stewart is a professional sculptor as well as a creature designer—and an amazing one at that. “To become an established sculptor, you just need to work hard, practice until you’re good and then keep practicing because you can only get better.” When working with special effects, Stewart said that it’s always a good idea to have personal projects to show employers both enthusiasm and passion.

Knowing for myself that I can be pretty much anything I want to be as long as I have the correct mindset helps me to plan better for myself. Going into makeup is something for which I’ve always had a passion. SFX makeup is still extraordinarily new to me, and there are many things for me to try and to learn. Working at Asylum Run has helped me in so many ways, from the amazing and beautiful people that I’ve met there to the makeup skills that I now have today because of volunteering there. Asylum Run isn’t just a haunted house for me—it’s my home. It isn’t just, as NBC News says, “a $300 million industry,” it’s a place for people like me, who don’t fit into society, to feel safe and secure in their own skin and to be surrounded by people they know and love.

Eileen Reinnagel is a junior at CASA.

So Much to Do: It’s almost spring–time to get that green thumb into gear.

February 29, 2016 | by Erica Shaffer

Spring is edging up quick now (oh, thank goodness!)–time to harness all that energy that flows into the gardener and the green thumbs. First up: Getting a game plan in place before you’re carried away by the cherry blossoms, which will help you organize the layers of abundance.

Checking out your tools right now is a great way to start getting your hands a little dirty. Using a wire brush, give your tools a nice scrubbing to remove clumps of dirt and surface rust. Spades and shovels work better with a nice, sharp edge, accomplished with a metal file. Rub oil on to them when you are done to keep the rust at bay. Drop your lawn mower blades off for sharpening for nice, clean cuts on the grass. Cleaned and sharpened pruners will be well appreciated as the cutting and trimming begins.

Decide what seeds you are going to start in March for planting outside or direct sowing. As soon as we receive one 70-degree day, plant lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, peas and radish seeds directly into the soil. These types of seedlings love chilly weather! Wait until late March to start pumpkins and squash inside.

As we get set free from our cabin fever, the need to clean and tidy outside can be both an ambitious and obsessive activity. Start with raking all the leaves that blew underneath the shrubbery as winter set in. Consider putting in a pile and chopping up with the mower. Rake up the results, spreading this goodness in the vegetable garden (don’t do this with walnut leaves).

Don’t be too quick to prune. Many a flower bud is removed in this fertile period of doing. In particular, hydrangeas display stems that appear to be dead, yet the summer flower buds are held tightly at the tips of the very alive branches. On the other gloved hand, some shrubbery responds very well to a vigorous spring hack. Knockout roses, for instance, respond well to being cut down to 12 inches tall each spring. Call your local garden professionals and get the proper info—before you cut!

Fertilizing can be easily done using Espoma granular products. Since most of the perennials still are sleeping, and annuals haven’t been planted, the coast is clear for application. Use five pounds for every 100 square feet, scattering HollyTone around the trees and evergreen shrubs, FlowerTone for perennial and annual beds and GardenTone in the vegetable and herb areas. It’s always a good idea to get a soil test done every few years to see what nutrients might need a boost.

If you are expanding a bed or making a new island, landscaper marking paint is handy to get the lines just right. Be sure to notice how the lawn mower will maneuver. Perhaps an existing bed is challenging to mow around and could use a new curve or extension. When designing these new areas, notice if the area is sunny or shady, wet or dry for best success rate when choosing the plants.

Hopefully, you will plant at least one tree this year. Make it a good one! When choosing a tree, start by focusing in on the area where it will go. What are the soil conditions? Hot and dry or shady and moist? What size should it mature at? Often, the ultimate size of a tree is ignored, and perfectly good trees get cut down because they “got too big.” Trees never get too big. Instead, their potential growth is ignored. Look up and see if there are power lines. How close to the house will it be planted? Furthermore, be sure to choose a quality tree. All trees are not created equal! Ornamental pears, for example, are terrible trees. They are seeding into our native areas and often spilt in half from wind or heavy snow as they get older. Plus, the flowers smell awful! There are so many other wonderful trees to choose from—keep the diversity in our area expanding.

I always wrap up with a lawn awareness plea. Please stop using so many chemicals on your lawn. Dandelions are loved by many pollinators. Dandelion greens are an excellent detox for your system. Dandelion roots are full of health nutrients, as well as being your friend by busting that stout taproot through our heavy clay soils. Why on earth do Americans hate dandelions?? (The answer is we have been manipulated to do so through years of commercials and slick glossy ads!) I challenge you to let your dandelions grow and make wishes with the delightful seed heads.

Happy spring and good growing!

Erica Shaffer is the nursery manager at Highland Gardens, 423 S. 18th St., Camp Hill. www.highlandgardens.org.

House of Note: Harrisburg’s most famous residence celebrates a landmark year.

February 29, 2016 | by M. Diane McCormick

A million presidents have come to Harrisburg, said Dan Deibler. He immediately corrected himself.

“A lot of presidents came to Harrisburg,” he said, “and they probably came to this house.”

“This house” is that graystone between railroad bridges on S. Front Street, the Harris-Cameron Mansion. Though it’s home today to the Historical Society of Dauphin County, it has hosted a long parade of history makers since its construction in 1766.

Or 1768. Architectural historian Deibler is still working on that question. And that, say HSDC officials, is the point of the mansion’s 250^th anniversary celebration in this year of 2016. As they spotlight a house that has anchored Harrisburg history, they want to separate fact from fiction. Staff and volunteers are digging into archives, trying to weed out myths from cherished stories and, in the process, ride the resurging interest in history to capture new generations of audiences.

The celebration “makes Harrisburg more interesting,” says HSDC board member Nancy Mendes. “It happened here. It did have a place in history.”

Though thousands drive past every day on their way to I-83, many people say they never knew about the historical attraction on the left, says HSDC Executive Director Nicole McMullen Smith.

“The board and I have always discussed how rich the history is in Harrisburg and how this house influenced everything that happened here, from the settlement of this area, to the negotiations with Native Americans, to the state capital moving here,” she says. “The people that lived in this home greatly influenced our local history and our national history. This is the opportunity for us to present that in new and interesting ways.”

What’s known for sure about the house:

Completed in (or around) 1766. The society chose to stick with the timetable established by previous milestone celebrations.
Built by John Harris Jr., the city founder who named Harrisburg in honor of his father. John Harris Sr. operated a ferry and frontier trading post in the vicinity. Harris Jr. was a wealthy man, and the home, not overly large by today’s standards, was a mansion in its day.
Bought in 1863 by Simon Cameron, Pennsylvania political player and Abraham Lincoln’s first secretary of war—so irascible and enmeshed in scandal that Lincoln sent him into political exile as minister to Russia. Cameron made few changes to the exterior but lowered the first floor three feet to create fashionably high Victorian ceilings.
Deeded to the Historical Society in 1941. Previous occupants included the Pennsylvania Female College and Harrisburg Academy.

For the anniversary celebration, Mendes is designing exhibits to illuminate events inside the house and outdoors. Exterior exhibits will review the Native American life that flourished at this critical river crossing “for 10,000 years before the Europeans came,” she says. One indoor exhibit will spotlight Cameron, featuring his epaulets, hats and “some strange helmet he picked up in Russia.” Artifacts being dusted off from the society’s collection include William Penn’s original charter permitting Harris Sr. to operate a ferry.

An outdoor plaque over John Harris Sr.’s grave (look for the wrought-iron fence on the right on your rush-hour dash out of town) will explore the truth behind the oft-told tale of the slave, Hercules, who rescued Harris from a near-torching by Native Americans. A grateful Harris gave Hercules his freedom, says the story.

“Well, that’s not true,” says Mendes. “That supposedly happened around 1720. He did give Hercules his freedom—in his will.”

On the Frontier

This is history unvarnished, but not revisionist to apologize for the parts that seem unsavory to 21^st-century ears, says board member the Rev. David Biser.

As the society’s John Harris Jr. reenactor, Biser knows the city founder quite well. Harris Jr. was so prominent that he once made inter-colony news during the French and Indian War, missing and presumed dead from a Native American ambush when he was actually taking two weeks on a circuitous homeward trek to elude another assault.

Harris would also send out agents to kill Native Americans and collect their scalps. He would buy the scalps and resell them in Philadelphia.

“While he is an incredible entrepreneur, incredible businessman, savvy in Philadelphia, Reading and Lancaster, he’s caught up in what it means to be on the frontier in Pennsylvania,” says Biser.

In Harris Jr.’s time and his father’s, “you cross the river, and you’re on your own.”

For the 250^th, Biser is bringing in other reenactors to portray such historical figures as Conrad Weiser, the mediator between colonists and Native Americans who signed several treaties in the mansion or rendezvoused there with state officials before meeting tribal chiefs.

And there will also be a visit from a name and face known to every American—a guy named Benjamin Franklin. Seems the polyglot Franklin, in addition to printing, writing, studying the qualities of electricity and helping found a new nation, came to this frontier region to lay out forts in the 1740s and surveyed their construction through the 1750s. Certainly, Harris “had bumped into Franklin,” says Biser.

The revivified Franklin, Harris Jr. and Weiser are expected to attend the June 25 Founder’s Day Festival, one of the new events added to HSDC’s anniversary calendar. Founder’s Day will offer a free, family-friendly look at colonial life, with encampments, crafts, music and games.

For the anniversary year, the society wanted to expand community programs into offerings that would entice new audiences. There will still be such annual traditions as the holiday market and reenacting Harris Jr.’s reading of the Declaration of Independence from the front porch.

New on the agenda is a symposium on Cameron’s legacy, a tavern night and whiskey tasting hosted by Harris Jr. and, during the April 9 anniversary kickoff, a ticketed beer tasting of local brews. And if the beers aren’t strictly colonial-style, well, “We’re going to celebrate the local tradition, and legend has it that John Harris Sr. probably brewed his own beer,” says Smith. “He was a brewer in England.”

A redesigned website will refresh the Historical Society’s public profile for the electronic age. In March, the mansion and its Alexander Research Library—popular with genealogists and history buffs—will add Saturday hours, in the hope of attracting the region’s weekend visitors. The mansion exterior will show the effects of a recently completed $500,000 renovation. Parts of the interior will be restored to historical accuracy.

It’s all part of the society’s effort to show that, as Smith says, “The history is important. The house is important. We’re here. We’re open.”

The John Harris and Simon Cameron Mansion is located at 219 S. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information on the mansion, the Historical Society of Dauphin County and 250^th anniversary events, visit www.dauphincountyhistory.org.

Year of Celebration

Numerous special events and programs are planned this year to mark the Harris-Cameron Mansion’s 250^th anniversary, including:

April 9: 250^th Anniversary Year Opening Event, 2 to 5 p.m.

April 10: Free Admission Mansion Open House, 1 to 5 p.m.

June 25: Founder’s Day Festival, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oct. 1: Tavern Night and Whiskey Tasting, 7 p.m.

Dec. 17: Gala Victorian Dinner, 7 p.m.

A Garden Stroll: Color bursts forth from the Civic Club grounds.

February 29, 2016 | by Missy Smith

Riverfront Park is Harrisburg’s green jewel, an oasis of grass and trees hard against busy Front Street on one side and the flowing Susquehanna River on the other.

In several places, the grassy strip breaks up in favor of other interesting elements, such as statues, memorials and gardens.

Among the most visually appealing—the stately, Tudor-style Civic Club and the delightful garden that surrounds it. A community staple for about 60 years, the Civic Club garden boasts centuries-old beech and sycamore trees, azaleas, bleeding hearts, Jacob’s ladders, evergreens, an ever-blooming day lily bed and several varieties of hostas, hydrangeas and hibiscus.

On a warm spring day, a river breeze refreshes those who sit on the patio or take a stroll through a rambling pathway that meanders through the garden.

“Entering the garden in spring and early summer, you pass under the wisteria-covered gate,” said Civic Club Garden Chair Marybeth Lehtimaki. “These mainstays catch one’s eye, and curiosity brings one to wonder what else might be found.”

The Civic Club traces its roots to the turn of the 20^th century and the days of legendary environmentalist Mira Lloyd Dock, who lived nearby and was instrumental in the myriad municipal improvements known collectively as City Beautiful. An original club member, Dock and other founders helped to beautify Harrisburg and make the city more livable by encouraging parks, gardens and improved sanitation.

Overlook, the name of the Civic Club building, was bequeathed to the club in 1914, and the gardens established several decades later. Bordering the park, the south wall garden is rich with color.

“Annuals and perennials, such as dianthus, daisies and violets, march through the seasons offering purples, white and lavender with seasonal splashes of yellow from spring bulbs and fall chrysanthemums,” said Lehtimaki.

Over the years, the garden has played backdrop to countless weddings, which may be what Overlook is most known for outside of the club itself. The garden also is open to the public during the day—for anyone seeking a peaceful respite—as well as other events.

“We are a very community-minded organization,” said Gail Bishop, Civic Club of Harrisburg president. “Our mission is to promote civic and social activities, which shall preserve the club in its landmark building.”

Today, an environmentally and socially healthy community remains at the top of the Civic Club’s priority list. Comprised of about 100 women who live in the greater Harrisburg region, the club encourages community interest and involvement, helps to nurture the welfare and education of children, seniors and other community members and strives to build relationships with other non-profits.

The Civic Club’s garden anchors its cause in a visual way. Floral colors and serene beauty serve as tangible reminders of the Civic Club’s mission to nurture Harrisburg’s natural environment while bringing the local community together.

“We want to make our community a better Harrisburg,” said Bishop. “It’s nice to be out and about in the community and foster strong relationships.”

The Civic Club of Harrisburg is located at 612 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information about the club, the building and the garden, visit www.civicclubofharrisburg.com.

An Issue of “Race”: New film explores a singular time in human rights, sports history.

February 29, 2016 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Over the years, filmmakers often have found compelling narratives by combining sports and racial issues. So, it isn’t too much of a surprise that another story is being pulled from history’s archives.

Director Stephen Hopkins brings us “Race,” the story of Jesse Owens, the African-American athlete who broke a record by winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi-era Berlin.

When Owens (Stephan James) starts at Ohio State University, he is the first of his family to make it to college. In some respects, he is your semi-typical college kid, trying to balance school with a job to support his family—he and his girlfriend have a little girl. But there are two characteristics that make him stand out. One is the color of his skin, and two, his track and field career. He is fast.

In his cavalier, yet stern manner, coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis) immediately zeroes in on Owens, and the two embark on an incredible journey that will bring the young man straight to the 1936 games. But, as the Olympics are slated to take place in Germany, there are many who want to boycott to show their disapproval of the Nazi regime. Owens must decide between taking the rare opportunity to test his skills at the world’s greatest sporting competition and boycotting the games in defense of the rights of persecuted minorities.

The biopic that follows is fascinating, both in terms of equal rights issues and in telling the story of Owens’ climb to the top. Jeremy Irons plays Avery Brundage, then president of the International Olympic Committee, who must fight to keep the United States in the games.

Also included in the story is Leni Riefenstahl (Carice van Houten), the director of “Olympia,” a documentary of the 1936 Olympics. Here, Riefenstahl is just another shade of color that the Nazis aim to control—though she sees her film as an opportunity to make art, no matter the employer. The theme of integrity is prevalent throughout the film, something that Owens must grapple with throughout his stay in Germany.

James and Sudeikis give solid performances. James adds a layer of depth to an already likeable character, and Sudeikis surprises with his straightforward performance. Together, they garner an onscreen relationship that is sure to surprise and charm audiences.

Yes, “Race” has the typical ring of a biopic, but it is ingrained with a sense of hope and community brought about by diversity. The film is coming soon to the Midtown Cinema—don’t miss it!

March Special Events

The Late Shift
“Kill Bill” Double Feature
Volume 1
Saturday, March 5, 9:30 p.m.
Volume 2
Saturday, March 5, 11:55 p.m.

Down in Front!
“Attack of the 50 Foot Woman”
Friday, March 11, 9:30 p.m.

Classic Film Series
“Arsenic and Old Lace”
Sunday, March 13, 6 p.m.

3^rd in the Burg $3 Movie
“Miss Congeniality”
Friday, March 18, 9:30 p.m.

Faulkner-Honda Family Film Series
“Spy Kids”
Saturday, March 19, 12 p.m.
Sunday, March 20, 2 p.m.

Digital Theatre Series
“As You Like It”
Sunday, March 20, 3 p.m.

15th Anniversary
“Amelie”
Saturday, March 26, 8 p.m.

Student Scribes: It Was Only a Horse Gate

February 29, 2016 | by Jeniffer Brenneman

I was 8 years old the first time my older sister, Megan, and I were allowed to pick blackberries on our own. It was a big deal because it involved crossing a road, walking two miles through groundhog-hunter infested woods, and closing a few horse gates. We didn’t take it lightly, and we didn’t spare any energy. It was also the first time that I had to listen to my older sister which, let’s face it, I wasn’t thrilled about.

We prepped the night before for our first unchaperoned adventure, for inclement weather, for wild animal encounters, for anything really. We sat down at the dining room table and Megan, being the artist she is, drew a map of our quest. She traced our journey onto a piece of paper in case we were to get lost, and she drew an “X” where the blackberries were because, as any true pirate could tell you, “X” marks the spot!

Since Dad was always preaching about responsibility, we included the horse gates on the map just so we wouldn’t forget to close them. Speaking of Dad, being the forester he was, he warned us of poison ivy, oak and sumac. I, being the inquisitive child I was, asked for pictures, and Mom, being the doctor she is, put calamine lotion, anti-bacterial wipes, and a few Band-Aids in our book bag. We also made an inventory of everything that we ought to take with us, but we got a little carried away when our list ended at 42 items (20 of which included blank papers to log our travel). We ended up dwindling the list to 13 items (not including the medical assortment from Mom).

List of Necessary Items:

2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
2 water bottles
2 pens
12 pieces of blank paper (6 each)
A handkerchief
A watch
4 apples for horses
A long rope
2 buckets
Walkie-talkies
A small blanket
Binoculars
“A Naturalist’s Guide to Field Plants”

We packed our bag, organized our food in the refrigerator, and laid our clothes out. We had dinner—chicken and biscuits, if I remember correctly—and Megan and I tore through it like we hadn’t eaten in five years. I can’t speak for Megan, but I was too excited to enjoy a family dinner. I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t think about anything except waking up and hitting the dirt road. It was like waiting for spring on the first day of winter.

***

Twenty years later, I have lost my love for the hunt, and I realize this as I slave over a blackberry pie. Fingers stained, shirt stained, and I realize that the only part of this delicious dessert that I worked for was the money it took to buy the ingredients. Surely, I know how to make my own crust, my great-grandmother taught me that, and I know that the park down the road is rich with blackberry bushes. What has changed? Have I changed? Of course I have. I’m stuck in the humdrum of everyday life. Work-school-family-work-school-family—and the cycle continues. I’m not sure where I left my love for the hunt, but, if I had to guess, I would say it’s lying somewhere in the middle of my life. I’ve considered going back and trying again. After all, I’m older, and I don’t fear the horses that inhabit that space anymore. Why won’t I go back then? What am I afraid of?

I place the last row of frozen dough across the top of this pie, and I realize that I can see my life’s path in the rows of the uneven top crust. Somehow, searching for the meaning that I’ve lost, I stare at the crust. Its jagged edges that I haven’t cut down yet and the deep holes where the blackberries lie, like the Grand Canyon of fruit pies. In an instant, I get angry—asking myself why I’m comparing my life to a pie. Considering all of the possibilities, I take the butter knife and cut my mistakes from the edge of the pan, and they fall on to the unsuspecting counter to smother what’s left of my dreams. I take a final look at my creation, and I realize that I’ve grown. I’ve adapted to adult life—I have responsibilities far greater than closing a horse gate.

I lick my finger and the sweet nostalgia of tartness thrusts me into the past again.

***

The morning was humid. The kind of stickiness a thief would understand. Mom made us blueberry muffins to supply us with enough energy (as if we needed it) for the hike. We headed out by 9 A.M. and handed Dad a walkie-talkie as we walked out the door. They both watched us cross the road and as we made the sharp left onto the dirt path we lost visibility of the house. We were on our own.

The ground was soft and with each step we could hear the grinding of loose dirt and gravel under our feet. The first gate was locked so we jumped it. We followed the map exactly as it was drawn out. We briskly walked around every corner, hopscotched around mud holes, and kept our eye out for that dreaded ivy plant Dad warned us about. According to the map we were close to the second horse gate which was, in essence, the gateway to the berries. We stopped for a quick drink and to radio Dad to let him know we were almost there.

Just after we radioed Dad and told him that we were alive and well, we heard some rustling in the bushes next to us. Megan insisted that it was just a groundhog or a rabbit, and we continued on our way. Every step we took I could hear the rustling of leaves like something was following us through the woods. We began to walk faster in fear that this silent creature would surely catch us and have us as lunch and no sooner did we begin to run we saw the gate. I can’t speak for Megan, but I do believe that gate began to glow a golden yellow as if we were rounding the final corner to the finish-line in Mario cart. I turned to see if the creature had presented itself – it hadn’t.

We approached the gate in a hurry and with shaking hands I unlatched the lock. As I turned to close it the beast had made its appearance. Galloping from the woods came the elusive horse. White body with a black nose and tall with broad shoulders and veins that protruded from under its hair. It stopped, and so did we. Megan grabbed an apple out of the bag and threw it on the ground in front of the beast. The apple landed with a resounding thud right next to its left hoof. The next few moments are a blur. The horse reared back and let out a terrifying noise. We ran. The horse ran behind us. All I know is the gate never closed. We never made it to the berries. We never ate our sandwiches. We never looked back.

The days that followed seemed to run together. I don’t remember seeing Dad that upset before. Maybe once or twice when I forgot to feed the dogs, but not like this. He made us walk to the horse owner’s home and tell him what happened. I thought for sure that he would understand. That he wouldn’t be angry, and he would let us go back to our innocent, responsibility-less life but I was wrong. I’m guessing that he didn’t accidentally drop his cola because when it hit the floor, he hit the roof. We searched for that horse high and low. Through wooded areas and creek beds, through dirt roads and paved. We searched until we couldn’t search anymore. Two days had passed. Two days with no TV, no playdates, no fun. Two days of nothing but the four walls in our bedrooms until, finally, the search had ended and Mr. Black’s horse was found grazing about 3 miles away. No harm no foul, I thought.

Dad had always preached about responsibility; always told us that we needed to think about the consequences of our actions. What consequences could we have thought of for not closing a horse gate? If you think about it, we gave them more fields to graze in, a little slice of unchartered land. No one told us that beyond the gate where the blackberries grow there are no more fences. There are no more gates. There are no more property borders to keep the horses from crossing. Nobody told us that it wasn’t just a horse gate.

Jeniffer Brenneman graduated from Penn State Harrisburg in December 2015 as an English major with a minor in human development and family studies. She works now as an intellectual disability caseworker.

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